Re: Tiers?

I suppose it could be implied by the T6 entry quoted from the test of spite tier system, but nobody uses that when they refer to the tiers anyway.

That's exactly what I was talking about (should have quoted it). I'm not against tiers, I'm against the notion the T6 entry in the ToS tiers enforces.

Originally Posted by Lord_Gareth

There's 'caring about fluff' and then there's 'shackling yourself to published fluff'. There's a lot of ways to express a concept and deliberately choosing not just sub-par, but hideously crippling options "for flavor reasons" usually shreds other parts of your concept. If my character was raised by his parents (who were shepherds) before finding his calling as a paladin, taking a few points in Profession (Herding) is probably a good idea. Taking Skill Focus: Profession (Herding) is not.

And that is not what the T6 entry says. It's an absolute statement - "choosing feats for flavor reasons makes you weak". If your concept is master of Scorching Ray so you take Arcane Thesis (scorching ray), according to that lovely ToS tier, you're doing it wrong.
The point being made there is quite clear - your options should be guided by what is mechanically more powerful, not what fits your character more.